1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a device for securing excess strap and is designed for use in securing excess strap from a tie down device, such as those used by truckers to tie down their cargo.
2. Description of the Related Art
Truckers use tie down devices to secure their cargo on their trucks.
However, the straps for the tie down devices are normally quite long and when the tie downs are in use, storage of the excess length of the straps can be problematic and a safety hazard. The present invention is designed to reduce clutter, reduce need for storage space, reduce wear, and reduce time by providing a convenient device for securing excess strap. In the shipping business, one of the most popular items is the 2 inch wide nylon ratchet strap. It is used by many companies for the safe transportation of goods. The strap is placed over the specific load, one hook is then placed on one side of the vehicle and the opposite hook is placed on the opposite side. Then the ratchet is tightened to tighten the strap until the load is securely held to the trailer. The common problem is that the straps come from the factory in lengths of 27 to 33 feet. Most loads only require the use of about 8 to 12 feet of the strap, leaving approximately 20 fee of unused strap to be dealt with. Because at times more of the strap may be needed, no one wants to cut off or waste the excess length of strap. Also, when not in use, the complete length of the strap must be stored. Rolling up the length of strap by hand or alternately not rolling it up will both create clutter in storage. The present invention eliminates the loose excess strap in transport, eliminates clutter in storage and frees up storage space in addition to other benefits. The present invention will safely secure excess strap in transit, with reduce storage clutter, will allow strap to be hung on back guard for convenience, will save time in securing loads, and will reduce wear on strap due to wind flail damage that would otherwise occur to the unsecured excess strap.
The present invention is an H-shaped base that is specifically designed to secure excess strap. The H-shaped base has two handles on opposing ends that pop snap out, then the excess strap is wound around the base by simply rotating the handles. Once the strap is wrapped onto the base to the desired length, the handles simply snap back into the base to prevent the strap from unwinding off of the base. Alternately, to release the strap from the base, the handles are once again pop snapped out, the handles rotated in the opposite direction, and the strap unwinds from the base.